 | Low: $4,000-$6,000 |
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 | High: $10,000-$25,000+ |
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| Massage therapists work in clinical settings such as hospitals and retail settings like spas, offering a variety of bodywork treatments for relaxation and assistance in recovering from injury. Many massage therapists travel to their clients' offices and homes. There are over 80 different types of massage specialties, and massage therapists will often develop skills in more than one area of massage. Formal training and state-issued licenses are typically required. | | |
| Typical costs: | - There are about 1,500 schools offering massage therapy training programs in the U.S., and the costs of these schools vary significantly, starting around $4,000 to $6,000 but ranging as high as $10,000 to $25,000 or more.
- Private programs are not necessarily more costly than programs offered at community colleges, although some private programs can be expensive. For example, the AKS Massage School in Virginia offers 650 hours of training for $10,000, while The Massage School in East Hampton, MA, offers an 800-hour program for $3,600 -$5,600.
- Community colleges costs vary depending on the program offered. The Aloha Massage Schoolin Maui offers a one-year program for $4,300 for in-state students. The Community College of Vermont charges $13,000 for a two-year associate's degree program in massage therapy for in-state students and $26,000 for out-of-state students.
- Books costs for massage programs are what students usually pay at community colleges, several hundred dollars per semester.
What should be included: | - Classroom training (such as courses in anatomy and physiology, where students learn about the circulation, muscular and skeletal system), should be followed by massage work on clients. Students will learn basic skills like draping patients for privacy and sanitary techniques in their first classes so they are ready when they begin to work with clients. But before working on private clients, students typically practice the skills they learn in class on family members, volunteers and community members.
- There should also be courses on massage theory; for example, learning the difference behind Thai and Swedish massage.
- Students will practice developing treatment plans, keeping patient notes, and learning professional ethics and conflict resolution.
- Different types of massage techniques are taught in most programs, such as Swedish massage, Asian bodywork, and massage for special populations, like the elderly.
Additional costs: | - License costs vary by state, but are typically around $100. Renewals are required on an annual or biannual basis. In Texas, an initial license costs $117 and a biannual renewal $106. In Georgia, it's $125 for the initial license and $85 for a biannual renewal.
- Most states require that massage therapists pass an exam, such as the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Body Work's exam or the Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards for about $200.
- Sometime cities or counties may regulate massage in addition to, or instead of, the state, such as in Michigan. Check with county and city licensing boards for fees.
- Optional materials, such as a massage table, can cost up to $1,100.
Discounts: | - Some schools, such as the Atlanta School of Massage offer financial aid including Pell Grants and Stafford Loans, as well as tuition assistance
- Some schools offer scholarships and payment plans, such as Lauterstein-Conway Massage School.
- Check with individual schools to see which financial aid programs they participate in; most have financial aid offices.
Shopping for massage school: | |
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Article updated February 2010 |
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